Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is heading to a Pacific Islands Forum already overshadowed by tensions between China and Taiwan, as the deputy prime minister flies to Washington for talks with the US secretary of defence to progress the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program.
This week’s leaders summit in Palau has been billed as an opportunity to co-operate on the climate crisis; rising fuel and food costs from the Middle East conflict; and in combatting the transnational drugs crime blighting Pacific Islands’ security – but the run-up to the forum has been dominated by deepening regional fault lines over the potential flashpoint of Taiwan.
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